Health minister's disease

If majority rule is the essence of democracy, then caring for minority is the culture of democracy. In that sense Gulab Nabi Azad’s take on the sexual minority is uncultured.

Even if he thinks men having sex with men (MSM) is a disease, is it a way a health minister dealing with it or its victims? He said, “Unfortunately such people are increasing by the day. While it’s a challenge to identify such people, the disease is unnatural and not good for Indian society.”

In the first place, homosexuality is not a disease. Consistent with disease classification of WHO, UNAIDS does not regard it as a decease. If he is ignorant of this or his mind is so unhealthy to defy it, Azad has no business to be a health minister. His rejoinder that he was not referring to MSM but just talking about HIV won’t help.

But, will his resignation, as the activists of LGBT community demanding, solve the problem? It’s a long way to go before our country gets some clarity about the issue and one or two heads rolled would not ensure equal rights to the sexual minority that includes lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender.

A society that has evolved through ancient civilization needs time to come to terms with these things, and it calls for a hell lot of patience and perseverance. More than anything, people must be made to see this from a democratic angle. Being the largest democracy, the Indian society must know a person is free to choose his own way of life, and he cannot be discriminated on the basis of his sexual orientation.
The fact is that we have not attained that stage yet. The US, the bellwether of democracy, is just now waking up to this. The state of New York is set to issue licenses to same-sex couples from 25 July, while individual states like Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington DC recognize this sort of alliance. In many of European countries it is no longer a stigma.

While Asia is regarded as a laggard in this regard, Nepal has come as the saving grace. The Himalayan country legalized the same-sex marriage just last month. When the neighbor is taking pride in owing a new thing, will it be a longtime to see the thing at our home?

Heavens did not fall when a book revealed the father of nation was a bisexual, which means the nation is willing for the change. The change should come from all the directions: mindset, polity, and government. And law is the basis for the change.
Asking for a change in law is one thing. But obeying the law till its existence is another thing and the most important thing. For instance, prostitution is illegal until it is regularized. Our liberal view on the issue should only help nudging the government moving in this direction.

The Delhi High Court has said better section 377 be repealed. But the reality is that the legislative is yet to act even after two years the judiciary showed it was more progressive than the other two pillars of democracy. The fourth estate is vocal enough, but its vocal chords are not sound enough to pull the law makers out of political compulsion.

We have things like Azad and Sriramulu. While Azad is a disgrace at national level, Sriramulu, namma health minister in Karnataka, is a double disgrace. He didn’t know the difference between homeopathy and homosexuality till recent past. He used to say, “homo-pathy” whenever he wanted refer to homeopathy.


Concerted and honest effort of sane minds can only bring some sense into them before going for the much needed change.